ioyned to him then anie other whosoeuer whether sonne kinsman orfriende and may more confidently looke to be enriched and protected by him so the faithfull being now in the humaine nature of Christ thus espowsed made one person with GOD are more nearely ioyned to him then man was in the state of innocencie wherein God did not take vnto him selfe the nature of man and therefore did not acknowledge man to be as his beloued spouse and a part of his owne person but only as his subiect seruant scholler creature and sonne All which are distinct persons from the King maister teacher creator and father and so may more certainly and vndoubtedly looke to be not only protected and saued from death by the strength of God their new husband but also to be enriched by him with all spirituall and heauenly blessings belonging to a holy and happie estate Thus we see the manner of this new subiection the duties belonging to it are all those which a dutifull wife oweth to her husband as namely that she please him and cleaue inseparably to him For the first as the Apostle writeth 1 Cor. 7. 34. As she that is maried careth for worldly things how she may please her husband so ought the faithfull endeauour by all meanes to please their heauenly husband by being pure both in bodie and soule doing all those things which they know are acceptable in his sight especially by performing the second duty to wit that they renounce all other things in the world and cleaue fast to God without separation euen as the wife forsaketh father mother sisters brethren kinred acquaintance and betaketh her selfe wholly to her husband This dutie of the church to Christ is notably described Psal 45. 11. 12. Heare ô daughter encline thine care forgette thy people and thy fathers house so shall the King haue pleasure in thy beautie for he is thy Lord and worshipp thou him Yea there can no wife haue so good cause to performe all loyall dutie to her husband as the faithfull haue in respect of God For if it should please some greate prince to aduance some base poore and miserable woman to the dignitie of being his wife all men would say that she could not by any duties of subiection shew her selfe sufficiently thankfull how then shall sinfull man who of himselfe is the most wretched creature in the world but is now espowsed to God the King of Kings behaue himselfe in any measure so dutifully as he oâ—â—ht The second part of this treatise wherein is handled the second part of mans holinesse and sinfulnesse to wit his conformitie or likenesse to God with the contrarie vnlikenesse or defermitie CHAP. I Sect. 1. Of the image of God in man in his pure estate IT hath bene declared that the good estate of the reasonable creature whether man or Angel consisteth in this that he be ioyned to God the fountaine of all goodnesse both personally or locally in happinesse and also spiritually in perfect holinesse The which holinesse hath two partes Subiection and Conformitie For so it hath pleased God in greate wisdome to ioyne these two together in his reasonable creatures least that they should be too much either debased by the one or lifted vp by the other For if they had beene made like to God without subiection they woulde easely haue bene brought to thinke theÌ„selues â—quall to God and if they had bene subiect to â—od without any likenes or reseÌ„blance to him â—ey should haue lacked that wherein their â—hole excellencie and dignitie doth consist â— haue bene in the same condition with the â—ute beastes Thus God hath created the â—ule of man in an equal temperament â—f contrarie qualities that so the one might â—ualifie and preserue the other The subâ—ection of man is already declared nowe â—olloweth his conformitie which is that â—arte of mans holinesse wherein he resembleth God or is like vnto God vsuallie â—alled in scripture the image of God for as there is a likenesse and similitude betwixt â—n image and that whereof it is the image so there is in respect of this parte of mans holinesse a likenesse betwixt God and man For the better vnderstanding of this matter and the easier resoluing of those manifolde doubtes which are moued about it it is needfull that we declare what God is to whom we make man to be like The essence of God is so infinite secrete and hidden that it cannot be conceaued in our mindes much lesse expressed in words to the capacitie of others For whereas it is saide Iohn 4. 24. That God is a spirite the meaning is that the nature of God is not visible and sensible but mysticall and wonderfull as are spirites For otherwise the name of spirite as it is giuen to Angels is too grosse to expresse the essence of God Yet it hath pleased God in mercie to make himselfe knowen vnto vs by his properties vsually called by the diuines the attributes of God as his knowledge wisdome iustice mercy loue power eternitie and such other For as we in common speache going about to describe any man doe mention his vertues qualities and conditions saying that he is honest gentle faithfull liberall iust and learned so we haue reuealed vnto vs in scripture no other essence or nature of God but the aforesaide attributes and therefore if we woulde describe God we must say that he is a certaine essence most simple without any manner of composition existing of it selfe and from whom all creatures and actions doe exist being eternall without beginning or ending infinite in knowledge wisdome iustice mercie loue strength power and in all goodnesse holinesse and puritie Thus we see in part what God is now the image of God in the creature is whenas it is like to God in some of the aforesaid â—espectes as when the creature is endued with knowledge wisdome iustice power â—oue mercie or any other of the attributes of God But it may be here obiected that â—f the attributes of God which are his essence may be giuen to any creature then â—t shoulde be partaker of gods nature and so be a God We answere that the attributes of God may be in the creature although not so as they are in God for example God hath strength and the creature hath strength euery one more or lesse Yet there is this difference that the strength of God is essentiall vnto him and a part of his nature but the strength of the creature is a qualitie or accidental thing which may be spared as when we see two sunnes the one is a true substance but the other is onely the reflexion of the beames of the true sunne In God it is primarelie as in the fountaine but the creature hath his strength from God in God it is infinite in the creature it is finite God hath all strength the creature hath but some yea the strength of the mightiest creature is great weakenesse in comparison of the
yea tried to be sound in the profession of the faith and corrected for their former misdemeanour Nowe these afflictions are of their owne nature as bitter as galle vnto vs and therefore it is impossible that flesh and bloude being not strengthened with some speciall grace of God shoulde receaue this loathsome potion without repining murmuring distruste despaire and many such inconueniences For the auoiding whereof it hath pleased God to giue vnto his faithfull seruantes this gift of patience whereby they do quietly constantly yea chearefully and ioyfully suffer any affliction as comming from God who is not to them a cruell enimie but a louing and tender hearted father remembring mercie in the midst of anger euen as a father spareth his owne naturall sonne making his mone vnto him This doctrine is declared at large Heb. 12. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. the wordes are many but being very fit for this purpose it shall not be irkesome to sette them downe Forgette not the exhortation which speaketh to you Prou. 3. 12. as vnto children My sonne despise not the correction of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him For whome the Lorde loueth him he chasteneth and scourgeth euerie sonne whom he receaueth If you endure chastening God offereth himselfe to you or declareth himselfe to be your father for what sonne is there whom his father doth not correct But if ye be without this chastening then truly ye are not right sonnes but bastards Moreouer we haue had our carnall fathers our correctours and haue stoode in awe of them shall we not then much more obey our spirituall father and so liue for they chastised vs for a few daies according to their pleasure but God chasteneth vs for our profit that so we might be made partakers of his holynesse Nowe all chastisement bringeth with it for the present time sorrowe not ioy but afterwarde it giueth the fruite of peace and righteousnesse to those who are exercised with it And therefore let vs lift vp our faint handes and our weake knees c. Lastly as touching this dutie of filiall subiection it had not so greate vse in the state of innocencie in the which man was not subiect to crosses afflictions and miseries so as the faithfull are in the state of regeneration Yet man in his innocencie was not altogether destitute of this grace or without some vse of it For it was his duty to take in good parte whatsoeuer it pleased God to do vnto him if not in laying any euil vpon him whereof his happy estate was not capable yet in withholding or withdrawing from him some particular blessing whereof he had great desire and which woulde be very pleasant vnto him CHAP. VIII Sect. 1. Of seruile subiection BEsides the aforesaid kinds of subiection man oweth to God all such duties as the seruant is bound to performe to his lord or maister as namely to obey to serue or minister vnto him and lastly to profit him for man according to his first creation is Gods seruant the which is not to be accounted a base condition derogating from the dignitie of this his glorious estate seeing that the holy Angels which doe farre excell man in glory are not ashamed to weare Gods liuery and to be called his seruantes The first duety is obedience the which is to be performed of all inferiours to those who haue any authority ouer them whether kinges magistrates fathers or teachers but especially it is to be performed by seruantes to their masters Ephe. 6. 5. Seruantes be obedient to your maisters in simplicity of heart as vnto Christ. So was man affected to God in his innocent state as doth euidently appeare in that his innocencie is nothing else but perfect obedience to God to his word lawes and commaundements Whereof it followeth that he did performe vnto God the second duety to wit faithfull seruice in performing with all care and diligence whatsoeuer worke it pleased God to imploy him in Thus did Adam before his fall serue God in doing those thinges which were enioyned him and thus do the Angels in heauen continually waiting and attending in the presence of God ready to goe whither he sendeth and to come when he calleth as we reade Heb. 1. 14. They are ministring spirits sent out for the electes sake and more plainely Psal. 103. 20. Blesse the Lord ye his Angels which excelling in strength doe his commaundement and obey his voice blesse the Lord all ye his hoastes his seruants which doe his will But there may some doubt be made as touching the last duety how man should profit God we answere that Gods riches consist in his glory the which the more that it is encreased and enlarged the more is Gods aduantage procured This we may see in the parable of the talents Mat. 25. 14. the meaning whereof is this that God giueth his graces to men to this ende that they should vse and encrease them for his aduantage Yea God there compareth himselfe to a couetous vsurer that is so greedie of gaine that he reapeth where he did not sowe and gathereth where he did not scatter that is he laboureth by all meanes to gaine glory to himselfe But what shall we say to Elephaz Iob. 22. 1. 2. who seemeth to deny this saying shall man profit God is it any gaine to the almighty that thou art iust and walkest in a perfect way The meaning of those wordes is this that God is not so tyed to man but that he can set forth his glory without him or his righteousnesse yea he can glorifie himselfe in the vnrighteousnesse and destruction of man but mans goodnesse it doth profit himselfe and other men like to himselfe as we read Psal. 16. 1. My goodnesse doth not extend it selfe to thee O Lorde but to the saintes heere on earth And yet it pleaseth God in mercy that so he might stirre man vp to all holinesse to count only that glory gained which is gotten by the obedience and saluation of his seruantes Sect. 2. Of the want of the aforesaid subiection MAN by falling from the obedience of God became a fugitiue and as it is saide of Cain the first of this sinfull generation Gen. 4. 14. being cast forth from the presence of God for his sinne is now a vagabond on the earth And as is this his miserable and viâ—e condition so is his disposition For he hath cleane lost all the properties of a good seruant and all abilitie of performing any acceptable duety to God In steede of obedience he doth continually breake all Gods commaundementes in all his thoughtes wordes deeds and in the whole course of his life Neither doth he waite on God to doe seruice vnto him for he serueth Sathan sinne and his owne corrupt desires Iohn 8. 34. Verely I say to you saith Christ that euery one who committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne in that he doth not
often to passe that the infirmities and sinnes appeareing in the life of a faithfull man make the sinceritie of his religion doubtfull to others yet he himselfe feeling the inwarde worke and motions of Gods spirite is vndoubtedly perswaded that he is the childe of God We confesse that a man truly regenerate may haue his faith sore shaken and the holinesse of his life greatly blemished by the force of temptation and so may for a time want in part or wholly this assurance of saluation Yet this doth not hinder him from hauing it at an other time yea all the daies of his life as may be seene in most of the faithfull Lastly we are not to thinke that this assurance of saluation is or can be to a faithfull man a motiue to sinne and dissolutenesse of life with the which it cannot stand For as it is gotten by holynesse whereby a man seeth that he is endued with the spirite of God and effectuallie called to beleeue the Gospell so it is lost by a sinfull and wicked life the which sheweth plainlie that a man is destitute of true faith and of Gods spirite for by the fruite the tree is knowen nay there is nothing of greater froce in restraining the faithfull from sinne then this that they knowe that the committing of any one wilfull sinne doth wound their owne consciences and diminish this notable treasure of assurance of saluation For as he that taketh one or a fewestones out of a wall although he doe not ouerthrow the building yet he maketh it the weaker so a fewe sinfull actions in the life of a faithfull man although they can not depriue him of this assuraunce it hauing bene gathered and as it were builded vp with the holinesse of many yeares yet they doe diminishe it and can not but trouble his conscience CHAP. IIII. Sect. 1. Of the created holinesse of mans memorie IT had bene little auailable for the holy and happie estate of man that he was endued with those notable faculties of conceauing vnderstanding and knowing Gods will and word when God did reueale himselfe vnto him if he had not bene made able to retaine the saide knowledge for the time following For otherwise God shoulde haue powred his graces into a bottomlesse or broken vessell which coulde not keepe or containe any thing and man shoulde haue reaped little profit by that which woulde be as soone lost as gotten For this cause God in great wisdome did endue the soule of man with a speciall facultie vsually called memory by vertue whereof man in this state of innocencie doth safelie keepe whatsoeuer the minde doth truely conceaue and so when occasion serueth doth giue the saide knowledge backe againe to the minde to be thought vpon meditated vttered in worde and followed in peed so that the memory is the storehouse of the soule wherin thinges both newe and old are carefully laide vp and faithfullie preserued and as it were the register of the minde taking a note of euery thing which commeth into it This facultie as all the other of mans soule was in the state of innocencie so perfect and of such strength as that by it man might at any time call to minde not euerie trifling thing which he had heard and seene a thousand yeares past for so his memorie shoulde haue bene confounded and in a manner infinite but whatsoeuer thing had at any time bene reuealed vnto him by God or was conceaued by his naturall faculties if so be it were a matter of any importance the knowing and remembring whereof might serue to some notable vse and profite vnto him As for other common matters of life which it was more gaine to loose then to keepe in these humaine infirmitie preuailed to forgetfulnesse For we are not to thinke that man was in this respect or any other as God is whose nature being euerie way infinite doth in one moment and with one motion of mind remember or rather knowe all particulars that haue bene done at any time For God doth thinke of all thinges together without confusion but the minde of man being not onely finite but also hauing in it a kinde of weaknesse if we compare him with the Angels can not thinke of many much lesse of infinite thinges at once but of one thing after an other and so doth the memorie remember those particulars which were committed to the custody of it letting goe matters of no vse that there may be place for thinges of importance as are the actions comaundementes apparitions reuelations and worde of God In the knoweing and remembring whereof the happinesse and holinesse of man did consist and therefore it stood him in hande to commit these thinges to sure custodie the which we are not to doubt but that he did so as that after many thousand yeares he was able to remember that which might any way serue for his good Neyther â—â—ede we maruaile thereat considering the frailtie of our owne memories which are neuer good when they are at the best and are soone cleane lost by sicknesse age or any such meanes For as is the strength of the bodie whereby as by an instrument the soule worketh so are the faculties of the minde and therefore as the body of man did continue in perfect vigour for many thousand yeares yea for euer so did his minde or memorie retaine the first vigour without being diminished Whereby we see that man in this facultie of memorie whereby his knowledge was made eternall did notablie resemble God whose nature is eternall Sect. 2. Of the sinfulnesse of mans memory AS in all other respectes so also in regard of this faculty man since the fall is so changed from his first estate that he scarse seemeth to be the same creature that he was hauing as wholly lost this faculty of a reasonable soule as if he had neuer beene endued with it For howsoeuer in regard of earthly worldlie and sensible things this faculty is after a sort remaining in man yet it hath no manner of force or power to retaine heauenlie and spirituall matters and the true knowledge of God and no maruaile for how shal the memory keepe when as the mind cannot conceiue it But mans corruption cannot so be cloaked in this behalf as if it it were wholly in the minde and not in this and other faculties For although the fountaine of it be in the minde which is the moouer and gouernour of the other faculties yet each faculty hath his peculiar fault the which may plainely be seene in the memory For suppose that which doth daily come to passe that a carnall man doth not onely heare the word of God for fashions sake but also marke and in some measure vnderstand it a man would thinke that all were safe and brought to a good passe the minde hath done his duety in conceiuing the trueth of the word as the body hath done in hearing so that now the word of God is come to the memory and
effectuall for happinesse Secondlie these giftes although they be partes of renewed holinesse in the beleeuer in whome they spring from the roote of a true faith yet in an vnbeleeuing vnregenerate man they are not spirituall graces but naturall giftes vnable eyther to sanctifie or to saue him that hath them Thus much of doing good Likewise in the committing of euil a naturall man hath freewill not onely to doe it but also to leaue it vndone for he may sinne if he will and he neede not except he list Of the first no man euer doubted but the second needeth to be explaned in this manner As good so also euill is of two kindes inward and outward the inward corruption of sin cannot be auoyded by any means for beside the originall sinne which is common to the regenerate and to the carnall man it is impossible that the inward faculties of a carnall man should be free from actuall sinfulnesse dulnesse ignorance obliuion and peruersenesse and therefore in regarde of this inward corruption of the faculties of the soule man hath no freewill but sinneth of necessity Againe his outward sinnes are of two sortes the one is of those which are sinnes not in their owne nature but as they come from the inward roote of infidelity as namely all the indifferent actions of a carnall man his eating drinking speaking working buying selling and all other of that kinde Yea his good actions as namely his hearing Gods word his praying his giuing of almes his temperate honest and iust actions all these are sinnes in the sight of God And therefore the carnall man hath not freewill in this kind of outward actions For whatsoeuer he doth it is a sinne and if he doe nothing yet that his doing nothing is sinfull yet in particulars he hath freewill or liberty of not sinning for although he cannot but sin in euery thing that he doth yet it is in his freewill whether he will doe that indifferent thing or no and so whether he will sinne in that particular or no as namely a carnall man purposeth to builde a house if he doe it he cannot choose but sinne because he cannot purge himselfe from infidelity yet he neede not sinne in that particular except he list because he neede not build the house except he list The second kinde of outward sinnes is of those which are sinnes in their owne nature as being directy forbidden in the moral law as idolatry periury murther adultery theft such other in the committing whereof a carnall man hath freewill it being not needfull that he should commit them as we see in many vnregenerate men whose outward liues are irreprouable for the inward force of originall corruption of corrupt desires enclining the will to sinne doth not make any necessitie of any particular sinne because they may be repressed by naturall strength and hindred although not from breaking foorth into any sinne yet from bringing forth this or that particular sin For whenas a man coÌ„mitteth adultery or murther he doth it of a free although a corrupt will and not of any force or necessitie Thus we see in how manie respects the freedome of will remaineth the which being not distinguished from a true and generall good consisting in holinesse and happinesse haue beene the occasion of manie errors in this point of doctrine whilst many haue thought that either a man hath freewil by nature or els he is able by learning and knowledge to get an artificiall freedome of will and that in the worke of regeneration the will worketh together which grace if not strongly yet weakly and faintly as we see a sicke man goeth about his businesse but the word of God teacheth vs to thinke the will of man not only weake but cleane dead in respect of true holines as hath beene declared and that an vnregenerate man is no more able of himselfe to enter and goe on in the way of godlynesse then a deade man is able to goe about the affaires of this temporall life Sect. 3. Of the renewed will of man WHen as that happie hower commeth wherein it pleaseth God of his infinite loue and mercie to call anie of his elect children out of the bondage and slauerie of Sathan into the glorious libertie of the kingdome of Christ he then sendeth downe his spirit into the heart of that man whome he purposeth to call and by the mightie operation thereof doth change him into a new creature taking from him the dulnesse and ignorance of his minde the vntowardnesse of his wil and affections and enduing him with the contrarie graces This change is wholly to be ascribed to this supernaturall working of the spirite and not in anie respect to the naturall force of mans will who howsoeuer perhappes he before his conuersion vsing the outward meanes of regeneration and saluation may after a soâ—â— desire holinesse and eternall life yet he is no more able to work it by himselfe then he was in his creation able to take to himselfe created holinesse before the same were inspired into him by God For the will of man as also all the rest of his faculties is not an agent or worker in this action but only doth suffer the worke of the holie spirit to whome it is as easie to sanctifie the will of that man who abhorreth and detesteth all the outward meanes of holinesse as of him that is so carefull and diligent in vsing them that he might seeme to haue chaunged his owne will from euill to good This we see in the conuersion of the Apostle Paul whose will being most spitefully bent against the Gospell was in one moment chaunged to the true loue of it But how is the will after this worke of regeneration Is it as idle and vnable to doe any thing as before Or is it now able of it selfe without the immediate worke of Gods spirite to choose and doe good We answere that although the holy spirite of God doth neuer forsake him whome he hath once renewed but doth to the ende of his life yea for euer accompanie and assist him yet there is a greate difference to be put betwixt the first act of regeneration and the continual course of renewed holynesse arising thereof For a carnall man is renewed by the sole worke of the spirite of God without any helpe action or motion of his owne will vnlesse we will say that it moueth in that it is moued but a faithfull man being already regenerated doth choose imbrace follow and do good and performe all the duties of renewed holinesse by the proper and inherent facultie and motion of his owne freewill That the renewed holinesse of the will and of all the other faculties of a faithfull man are proper and inherent in him no man can doubt for his knowledge of God and his inclination to good although it were wrought in them by the holy spirit yet it is not the proper holinesse of the holy spirite whose holinesse is
but especially it appeareth in those who in old times professed themselues to be philosophers that is seekers and practisers of wisedome and vertue as namely Socrates Plato with many others as Aristides Cato Seneca whose vertues we can not thinke to haue bene mere hypocrisie it being well knowen that they were so affected inwardly in their mindes as they professed outwardly in their liues Yet we confesse that this decrease of sinfulnesse is not a like in all for in some it is inwarde and true as hath bene saide but in others yea most commonly it is onely in outward life For many doe leade an honest and irreproueable life being vitiously disposed in their mindes some for feare of ciuill punishment or of publike shame others for vaine glories sake as did the pharisies Againe this decrease is more generall in some who abstaine from many kindes of vices then it is in others who are faulty in many respectes And Lastly this decrease is more firme and permanent in some continuing the wholle time of their life but in others it hath place in their young yeares by force of good education but is afterwardes altogether forgotten and reiected In the heathen it is more in regarde of the duties of the second table the which are more easelie knowen then are the dueties belonging to the worship of God But in hypocriticall Christians the outwarde decrease of sinfulnesse is greater in the dueties of the first table For they will be verie deuout and diligent in the outwarde seruice of God and yet liue verie wickedly in regard of their brethren These and many other degrees and differences of this naturall decrease may easely be obserued in many both within and without the Church and also in all histories whether diuine or humaine but are too many to be handled in this short treatise CHAP. IIII. Of the supernaturall decrease of sinfulnesse AS the increase of light doth make a decrease of darkenes it being impossible that two thinges of contrarie natures sholude be together in one subiect the one not expelling the other either wholly or in part so the spirituall graces of God which are the matter of mans holinesse bestowed on vnregenerate men doe worke in them a decrease of sinfulnesse makeing them lesse sinfull then otherwise they woulde be and then vsually vnregenerate men are This decrease we call supernaturall because it cannot be attained vnto by those naturall meanes of diminishing sinne mentioned in the former chapter and therefore it is not to be found in the most innocent and vertuous pagan that euer liued but is to be accounted a worke of Gods spirite brought to passe by the ministrie of his worde sounding in the eares of those who are members of the visible church without the which this decrease of sinne is not ordinarily to be founde Nor yet in all the members of the church of whom many doe exceede the heathen in sinne but onely in those who doe yeelde obedience to the gospell although not in such manner as the faithfull doe yet in so greate measure that this decrease of sinne may very fitly be called a shadowe of true regeneration there being no grace effectually wrought in the faithfull whereof a resemblaunce may not be found in this sort of men For not onely their life is agreeable to the worde of God but also they are inwardly enlightned to see the trueth and are well affected towardes it and endued with a kinde of faith hope loue patience and all other graces and that not in hypocrisie though many doe make an outwarde shew and profession of those graces whereof there is not any shadowe in their heartes but in trueth As we read Heb. 6. 4. 5. It is impossible that they who were once enlightned and haue tasted of the heauenly gift of the good worde of God of the ioyes of the worlde to come and in generall were made partakers of the holy Ghost if they fall away c. If it be asked why God doth bestow these excellent graces on the reprobate as it were throwing pearles among swine we answere that he doth it especially for these three causes first for the setting forth of his owne glory For by this worke his loue mercy goodnesse wisedome and trueth appeareth euen to the reprobate on whom as he letteth the raine to fal and his sun to shine as wel as on the faithfull so he powreth foorth his graces as well on the one as on the other although not after the same manner for although the eternall loue of God which bringeth with it eternall saluation doth belong to the elect onely yet there is a generall and as we may terme it a temporary loue which God beareth to all his creatures and in them towardes all men both elect and reprobate Secondly this is done in regard of the elect for whose sake God blesseth the reprobate with whome they liue both in temporal and spirituall things and whose saluation is furthered and some time wrought by the giftes and ministery of these men Lastly God doth by this meanes make them who are indued with these graces the more inexcusable in that they contemne and treade vnder foote so great mercy Nowe we are to declare the difference which is betwixt true regeneration and this supernaturall decrease of sinne which is a shadowe of it First therefore true regeneration is generall stretching it selfe ouer all the faculties and partes of the soule and body and working an vniuersall holines as the leauen which being put into a greate lumpe of dow neuer ceaseth spreading it selfe abroad till the whole lumpe be seasoned Luke 13. 21. But the shadowe faileth for the most part in one point of holinesse or other yea often many partes of sanctification are wanting as the minde is often enlightned with the knowledge of the truth whenas the obedience of life and outward actions is wanting 1. Cor. 8. 1. We haue all knowledge knowledge puffeth vp but loue edifieth Againe there may be seene in them good affections without knowledge Rom. 6. I beare witnesse saith the Apostle that the Iewes haue the zeale of GOD yet not according to knowledge Yea often the minde is enlightned in part and in part remaineth in ignorance as in those who professing and holding in iudgement the trueth of the gospell to witte of the fund amental and chiefe doctrines of it doe together maintaine many errours and heresies We doe not deny but thaâ— one truely regenerate may be in some errors for we all knowe but in parte 1. Cor. 13. yet this is the force and propertie of a regenerate minde to be able to discerne the trueth from errour when as both are laide before it howsoeuer it did not see it before And therefore when as we see a man although endued with many giftes yet to be of a corrupt minde and vnsound iudgement enclining alwaies to the wrong part in matters of religion his regeneration may in that respect be